“The most beautiful thing the people of Villgraten own is their mountain pastures"
This statement was made by a resident of the valley who knows the world and whose home is close to his heart. Based on the description of the above-mentioned regional writer Franz Josef Kofler (died 1961), the short summers in the mountain pastures must have been like a resounding concert for farming families – despite the hard work that had to be done.
Working the Alpine pastures arose from necessity. The original farms of the first settlers soon had to be divided, as the population was growing rapidly. This fragmentation resulted in farmers relying extensively on alpine pastures. It was essential for them to obtain additional hay for winter feed, and the steep mountain pastures at up to 2,500 metres above sea level provided this hay. However, bringing it in was both extremely strenuous and dangerous, the more so since in winter the hay had to be transported down to the valley on a “Ferggl” (a primitive, three-sectional frame) and, in flatter terrain, on a hay sled.
“With kit and caboodle” to the mountains
People moved “with kit and caboodle” to the mountains. There, in addition to mowing the mountain pastures, the cows spent the summers, the children played with the cows they made out of fir cones, whenever there was time – the entire life of the village moved for two or three months up into the mountains. On Sunday, everyone came down to the village for church – on an empty stomach, since they wanted to take communion. In late summer, the second mowing took place in the valley, and the grain and flax harvest had to be brought in. The family moved back to their home farm. This natural flow was continued from generation to generation, for five or six hundred years. The flow was halted by the beginnings of motorization and the building of roads from the middle of the last century. The mountain pastures could now be reached very quickly from the farm. It became easy to transport milk and butter down to the valley and to sleep at home.
.... leave the hustle and bustle behind and head out into nature
Only the mountain cabins kept their lonely watch and were in danger of falling into disrepair. The idea of using these magnificent settings for “simple, rural tourism” seemed obvious. It was realized with the help of public subsidies.
Since then, the alpine cabins have not only been busy, but are usually fully booked months before the season even starts. And this despite the fact that all that awaits visitors is cold running water, a wood-burning stove with a hot water cauldron, firewood stacked in front of the house, a few cups and plates, and rustic beds. Yet this kind of holiday is quite uniquely different: leave the hustle and bustle behind and head out into nature. Our mountain pastures are something of a rarity, rooted in the landscape and a part of its history. There the clarinet that the poet Kofler heard still sounds: in the picturesque mountain villages of Innervillgraten (Oberstalleralm, Unterstalleralm, Kamelisenalm and Alfenalm) as well as in the cabins in Ausservillgraten Winkel Valley and Thurntaler. If you come to one of our mountain pastures, you should hold your breath and listen.
Oberstalleralm "Innerwalder"
Our cabin is 1,833 m above sea level, in the Oberstaller mountain pasture at the heart of the fascinating mountains surrounding Villgraten. Children in particular have plenty of space to play and romp around. (10 beds / 5 double rooms)
Price for 4 people: € 44,00/day
each additional person: € 12,00/day
Discount for children!
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Oberstalleralm-Innerwalder-Price Information